Despite the historic signing of the Asean Charter, the tricky issue of Myanmar dominated headlines during the recent Asean Summit in Singapore - no thanks to much-hyped protests on the streets and behind-the-scenes disagreements among delegates on how best to resolve the problem.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his capacity as Asean chairman, explains why sanctions against Myanmar to put pressure on its military government will not work.

French and British European Union representatives Ms Rama Yade and Ms Meg Munn, at a separate event, told reporters that sanctions should remain an option as Asean and the United Nations explore ways to bring democracy to Myanmar.

In his keynote address at the annual Singapore Tripartism Forum, former Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen - now Education Minister - reflects on the importance of not 'protecting' workers here through a clampdown on the foreign worker quota and a high wage policy. He also elaborates on the way forward for Singapore's workforce.